Show r t A. A f It o t a Q u sQ I I I It t fr J- J LOVE OVE or DE DEATH 1 II F Il l L BY BY i iI r i Rafael a acl Sabatini j i iI I I i s' s IJ n n n ir I. I THE STORY t- t cn ER In I 1 In the town town of or Urbino when It was under the control I of ot C Cesar Cesare Borgia famous military commander com coin mander as well as us great statesman a certain Mes lesser er arrant rogue rog Is flourishing nourishing as os a n fortune fortune fortune for- for tune teller raster caster of or spells and dispenser er of poisons to those who can afford to pay for them To 10 him comes In great secrecy surety the Lady tody Blanca Blanco do Fioravanti beautiful daughter dau of or the therl rl h and powerful lord of the tho Castle 5 5 of San Leo which Is holding out p l the power of or even Cesare BorIa Bor- Bor la Ia In n the act net of or entering the tho girl girlIs Is astounded by the appearance of or what she takes takeI for Cor an apparition but who r turns t to be h human nu pan aa as and t enters with her x f The li di- di drear dread bids yoU vou enter he announced Fu For nil all the stoutness of her spirit f the Bianca now drew back But Butas n as her e eyes es es remained fixed upon the pap gap RP she presently saw the gloom In is d putt part dispelled and dimly she began to perceive some of the furnishings r of that Inner room She took courage bethought her of the great boon she S sought at the magicians magician's hands and so crO crossed the dread threshold and andr r passed Into that mysterious chamber After Arter her In close attendance ever er silent came the gentleman of the mask Relieving Believing him to be of the thea a f hou household of ot the mage and his at 1 a necessary condition she made It de no demur to It whilst the Nubian Nu I hian bian on the other hand supposing c him him from his mask and the richness of his cloak to be her companion made mane no attempt to check heck his Ingress Thus together these two passed Into the dim twilight of the room The curtains rasped together again I I behind them and the door clanged I Madonna peered about her her breath shortened her heart beating unduly A line of radiance along th tha ceiling m mysterious of ot source very ery faintly revealed her surroundings to toh h her r three or four tour chairs capacious and fantastically carved caned a n table of plain wood against t the wall Immediately Immedi- Immedi I before her rp with strange vessels ev els of glass and of ot metal that 1 gleamed as they were were smitten by hY ra rays s 's t of the the- faint light No window showed c x From ceiling to floor the chamber was Ining hueg aids black It was cold und and u as the tomb nil and of th the ma- ma 1 there wis no si sign sign n lh The s cf the place pi ice Increased I t her awe tram her reason and loosed her IlIr SI She e sat down downto c to a wall await advent of or the dread Cor Cor- t. t sinus unus inus And Ami then the second miracle took slate plate Chaining to look round j I jIn f In of the tile black Cumulus who had hud d to escort her she dl co r to III her Infinite amazement I that hut be LIt hid hall As lr I as fiS he II haul lud l first r t taken sh shape fe InI In Inthe j I 1 the h torch her e. eyes ejes hud had he now IJ dissolved ed again Miu md 1111 melted uway u Into the al all l 1 1111 In She Slie I i-H i e Jit lit h liAr Jr breath nt it tiis and andr n Ir r t U S Q-S- U C r. ht lurr- lurr u a if ll be en ceded ii to s scatter utter what hat remained of ofer ofer er cr wits Its n a great pillar of fire leapt l Into being In to blind her and to wring i rani mi her a n cr cry of fear As sudden suddenly j jt t I vanished hed leaving len a n stench of sul suI hur in the air nir and then a voice Il loop leep p booming and Immensely calm nn mp Ing in her Iler ears Fear not muncH Bianca de' de Fioravanti 1 in nn here What lint do you jou OU seek of or me meT The Tile poor o overwrought ought lady looked fore it-fore her in the direction of the thenice thenice thenice nice and witnessed the third mir cle Icle Gradually before her eyes where here had been Impenetrable gloom gloom- where Indeed It had seemed to her lint hut the chamber ended In a wall wall wall- he saw sow a n man mon an entire scene grad grad- nally ns assume ume shape and being as she Nor lid did It occur to her that t intent he her eyesight's ht's slow ry from flom the blinding flash of light tint hilt conveyed Ed to her tier this Impression if of gradual materialization Soon It ItUS vas US In complete complete In focus as It were md tad quite distinct She Clue hf beheld n small table or pulpit soon pon which stood stool n a gl gigantic open tome fome Its leaves nes yellow jellow with a great ire se It Its colossal sliver silver clasps gleam gleam- ng In the light from the three beaks f a tall stemmed bronze lamp of an nn- l lent nt Greek l design In which some aro tatie oil nil was T RS being burned At the limps amps foot a human skull grinned hor- hor To the rl right ht of the table stood i trIpolI tripod supporting a brazier In which i a mass of charcoal was glowing rud rud- Illy At the table tahle Itself In ft n high high- hacked ch chair sat a man In n a scarlet sown his head covered by a R hat like liken 11 n Inverted saucepan His face tace was pan can anti gaunt the nose and cheekbones cheek cheek- I bones ones very ery pr prominent his forehead vas vos hl hint Ji 1 and narrow his red reel beard anti and his ills eyes ees which were wert full upon his visitor reflecting the cunningly set light gleamed with ri n n n penetration Behind him In the hac background stolid stand crucible and alembic and above these an orray of ot shelves shelves laden laden with coffers and retorts But Rut of all this she had the most fleeting and subconscious of impressions All at at- h lenton of which she was as capable was focused upon the man himself She Rhe was too ran as ns one In to a n dream so bewildered bewildered dered dred had her hp sen senses ep grown rown by all th she had witnessed Sneak Madonna 1 the he nin magician calmly tl urged d 1 her cr I am here to do your our will It Tt wa wm encouraging und tend would have been heen still Mil f III more murp encouraging had she hp but hut held souse some explanation of lif the EXt ex X r t manner r of his nd advent nt Still III over o O v w d d slip he spoke poke at last her P Idyl Idy I l need your help said she I IHM 1 1 J HM n. il it vary pr sorely It 11 I. I N k roars Madonna to the entire stem of nf my mv vast IUt science nee iron vou rou have hn great learning IE he ht 1111 h questioned half rise h limitless o ocean ocean he answered I 1 IE n neM r so wide nor oL so d deep dep ep as ns s my ge liar Is ls your your need She was mastering herself hersel f now and If she faltered still and hesitated hesitated hesitated hesi hesi- It was because the thing ig sh she craved was not such as a n maid may boldly speak of ot She approached her hei subject gradually You possess the secret of or great greni medicines said she of elixirs that will do their work York not only upon the bod body but at need upon the theer er very spirit Madonna he answered soberly I Ican 1 can an arrest the decay of a age e or com compel compel compel pel the departed spirit of or the cleat dea cleato to o o return and restore the body's life nd And since It Is s Natures Nature's law that tin tilt reater greater must Include the less let that suffice you But nut can you you yon She Rhe paused Then Imp impelled lIed by hy her need her last fem feat forgotten now that she he was well em harked alI upon the business she rosi rost md IDd approached him Can you com corn toad love love she asked and gulped Can you compel the cold to grow Im hn the Indifferent to be filled with longings Can you can you can you dohis do dohis his He pondered dered her at some length Is Ills this your need he and there thre was wonder In his voice Yours Tours or another's th Il 11 Is lEI my mv need she answered In lop l b Mv My own own He lie sat SOl b back and further considered rell hp he pale beauty of other her the low brow he black lustrous tresses In theft the colden Patten net the splendid e eyes es the nl al mouth the noble height and hope hape ln l Maple Magic lc I have to do your jour our will alIt a at It teed id he lie said slowly but surely n nl ni luh mn maple magic lc as ns Js is Natures Nature's own endow tent lent nf ot you jou ou Can he resist the sot soi cry rye cry of ot those lips and eyes this eyes this mat mai maior mator or whose subjection you desire m mIll im Ill Id Alas He lIe thinks not of ot suel flags s Ills IUs mind Is set on war am anI Ills His only mistress Is am ant ambit bit barn Ion Ills name the sage Imperious Impe rious What Wha Is 9 his name name name-hi- hi name anti and his condition She lowered her glance e. e A fain Pala flush tinted tinned her cheeks s. She he II hc toted tal taken en hy by a n fluttering panic yet she dared not deny him the knowl knowledge knowledge knowledge edge edg-e he demanded lest vexed by hei het refusal he should withhold his aid Ills lIIs tame she faltered at length Is s Lorenzo a Castrocaro-a a gentleman of a who serve S T under tinder the banner of ot the duke of ot Val A blind to beauty blind to such warm loveliness lo as yours Madonna cried So anomalous a being such a naturae natu rae will require great medicine Opportunity has served me none too well she site explained almost In self self- defense In Indeed eed circumstance Is all against us My father Is the cast liar of ot St St. Leo devoted to Duke GuIdo baldo baido wherefore It Is natural that thai we should see but little of ot one who serves erves under the banner of the foe toe And so I tear fear that he may go his way wap unless I 1 have hae that which will him to me me In despite of or all Corvinus considered the matter mattei K si I silently awhile then sighed d. d I see et se Trent reat difficulties to be overcome said sold that wily mage But nut you can help me to overcome o them then His gleaming eyes considered herIt her It It will be costly he said sold that to me Do yon think Ill I'll count the cost In such a matter matterY The wizard wt drew hack back frowned and wrapped d himself In la a great dignity elst stand lIlI me mo said he with some asperity This Is no shop where things are arc bought and sold Mj My Knowledge and my magic malc are at the I service of all nil humanity These I do donot donot donot not sell I 1 bestow them freely and anil without f fee e upon all ull who need them But nut If It I give gl so much so very cry much It cannot cannot be expected that I should give more The dru drugs 9 I have assem assembled assembled assembled bled from all corners of the earth are art often otten of great price That price It Is III yours ours to bear since the medicine Is for tor your service You have such th than n I she cried her hands clasping to tn n sudden increase of at hopefulness Ho nodded his assent Love philters are common things thing enough and easy of ot preparation In Inthe Inthe the tho main Any rustic hag who deals In n witchcraft and preys on fools can brew one The contempt of ot his tone was waa withering But for your affair where great obstacles must be surmounted sur ear mounted or ever the affinities can con be made to respond a drug of unusual power Is la needed Such a drug I have though little of ot It for In all the world there Is none more difficult to obtain Its chief component Is an extract extract ex ex- ex tract from the brain of a n rare blyd- blyd bird avis ot of of Africa With feverish fingers she plucked a heavy henvy purse purs from her girdle and splashed It upon the table It fell against the grinning skull and thus cheek by Jowl with each other lay Lifes Life's two masters Death masters Death and Gold j Fifty ducats I shy shu panted In h here her e CP wUl WUI that h gut ot oL Continued Ne Next t Week |